Such as interesting thread. Must admit I didn't know who Geoffrey Blaydon was until I saw a picture and its Catweazel from when I was a kid !! and he was in Worzel Gummidge.
I cant imagine him as following up William Hartnell. Was he ever a serious actor rather than comedy ? Patrick Troughton seems much more I don't know ........ suited and thank god for him being so good.
Anyway this nostalgic clip is for all those who grew up in the 1970's like me. Enjoy https://youtu.be/LmQZjKMcPcA
Yes he was a serious actor. His background is theatre including at Stratford and his list of film and TV credits is extensive. Catweazel is a pretty small part of his career. He also did eventually play the Doctor for Big Finish in the Unbound series.
Tom's last season suffered from a significant drop in ratings. Many blamed the competition from Buck Rogers on ITV, but The Leisure Hive part one was transmitted before before Buck Rogers had even started, and The Leisure Hive already had low ratings. It's not really clear why viewers abandoned Who for that season. It can't be that they change of direction put people off, because, as I say, viewers were down right from the very start.
Remember ITV had been shut down for a while due to strikes, by the time The Leisure Hive was being screened ITV were resuming programming as usual.
Remember ITV had been shut down for a while due to strikes, by the time The Leisure Hive was being screened ITV were resuming programming as usual.
The ITV dispute was over some time before the end of 1979, so I don't think that would have had any impact on BBC shows transmitted 9 months later in September 1980.
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I think John Ringham (Just Good Friends) was offered the part once, and Graham Crowden (Waiting For God) more than once.
Yes he did and did a pretty good job too. He played the First Doctor in 2 stories.
Yes he was a serious actor. His background is theatre including at Stratford and his list of film and TV credits is extensive. Catweazel is a pretty small part of his career. He also did eventually play the Doctor for Big Finish in the Unbound series.
The ITV dispute was over some time before the end of 1979, so I don't think that would have had any impact on BBC shows transmitted 9 months later in September 1980.